A quick guide to the Spanish Education system

Relocating to a foreign country can, it’s true, be a trying process – and that’s when you’ve just got yourself to consider. When your responsibilities extend to getting your entire family settled in to a entirely new culture, you might be forgiven for occasionally pulling out the odd handful of hair; and that’s even before you tackle the problem of learning a whole new language.

Of the many thousands of Britons moving to Spain each year, a growing proportion are families looking to give their children a taste of something completely different: a new cultural perspective, the chance to learn a new language amongst native speakers, and perhaps the opportunity to take a look outside what many see as an excessively-insular British society. Yet parents are also aware that too much disruption during the critical years of a child’s education might have disastrous consequences for that child’s future well-being. Unless carefully thought-out, the move from a British education to the (very different) Spanish schools system can cause a great deal of upheaval at the worst possible time.

“It was a very big issue for us,” says Julia McFarlane, who moved to the Costa Brava four years ago with husband Euan and son Michael, now 14. “We’d wanted to move for some years as Euan’s job meant he was spending almost all his time here anyway. But we were very worried about taking Mikey out of school; we didn’t really know when would be the right time.”

In the end the McFarlanes decided to wait until Michael had finished his primary schooling, reasoning that as he would be experiencing a certain amount of upheaval anyway it would be the most appropriate time for a more substantial change. However, to help Michael adjust as quickly as possible to his new home and school, his parents arranged private Spanish tuition for the year leading up to their move.

“It seemed the logical thing to do,” Mrs McFarlane continues. “At the beginning we weren’t really sure what kind of school would be best for Mikey, and we thought that even if we ended up choosing a British school the Spanish would obviously come in handy. If we went for a Spanish-speaking school, though, then it would be vital.”

After a good deal of thought and consultation the McFarlanes selected a British school for Michael, where, he says, he has been very happy and enjoys his studies.

“Definitely, it was a good choice,” he says. “When I left my old school I was worried, I thought it would be hard to make friends. But most kids at my school are the same as me and it was really easy to settle in. My Spanish lessons were really useful though, it meant I could get to know people outside school a lot easier and I’m pretty fluent now.”

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In the UK, a parent’s choice when it comes to schooling is relatively straightforward: the state sector or, for those who are willing and able, private education. In Spain similar options are available, but there’s the added dimension of a variety of schools catering specifically for the numerous ex-patriate communities to be found across the country. Which school is right for your child depends on a number of factors, including among other things the degree of cultural integration you want your child to experience, the level of fluency in Spanish you wish him or her to achieve and the kind of qualifications with which you want him or her to leave school.

The traditional option for ex-pat children in Spain has been the (fee-paying) international school, normally supplying a general education taught in English and preparing pupils for the International Baccalaureate exams – the internationally-recognised equivalent to the British A-levels. Although the standard of teaching can, of course, vary, the majority of Spain’s international schools are well-respected and of a high quality. The fact that the International Baccalaureate examinations are independently assessed by an international body means that schools can be measured against one another in terms of results in a manner which compares favourably with Britain’s own system of league tables. A small minority offer alternative examinations, normally involving the domestic qualifications but occasionally including the British AS- and A-level exams.

John Welsh, a British ex-pat who has lived with his family in Madrid for over ten years, has sent his three daughters to an international school in the city and has absolutely no regrets.

“I’m very happy with the girls’ school and they’ve done very well, and been treated very well,” he says. “Before we left England we did think for a a bit about sending Ayesha” (Welsh’s eldest daughter, now 17) “to boarding school but we couldn’t really bear to do without her, to be honest! So we looked around and having spoken to a few of the other Brits out here we thought we’d choose an international school. And we’re very happy we did; Ayesha’s well on her way to university now – we hope! – and she’s had a first-class education here.”

Alongside the international schools are a number of more purely British establishments. In Spain, a “British school” refers to one which follows the British curriculum, such as that attended by Michael McFarlane. These schools teach all subjects in English, with Spanish taught as a foreign language as in the UK. British schools are the nearest equivalent you will find in Spain to the private schools found in Britain itself and often offer a similar ethos and philosophy. The degree of Spanish integration your child will experience at a British school may be relatively small – especially if his or her social circle outside school is predominantly British; however, for those who are only planning to reside in Spain for a short time, this may well be the option which causes the least disruption to your child’s education and development.

There are many advantages to sending your child to an international or a British school. Often – though not always – the majority of pupils will find themselves in similar situations to your child’s own; the initial sense of dislocation can be dispelled relatively quickly by the forging of an esprit de corps amongst those who are “all in the same boat”. The fact that lessons are almost invariably conducted in English means that your child will almost certainly have a smoother transition between systems and, perhaps, between different educational philosophies.

However, for a growing number of parents these advantages are anything but. Increasingly, Britons moving to Spain want their children to become as integrated as possible into the Spanish way of life – and frequently this means turning down the “easy option” of an international school, and plumping instead for a Spanish-speaking private or even, in many cases, state school.

Just as in the UK, Spanish private schools come in all shapes and sizes. The vast majority follow the Spanish curriculum (although there may be an extra emphasis placed on the study of English and, potentially, French and German), although many offer a choice between the International Baccalaureate and the Spanish bachillerato. With the obvious exception of language classes, lessons are almost invariably conducted in Spanish, although there is a developing tendency towards intensive English tuition at primary level so that when children enter secondary education they are almost fully bilingual. It is imperative to ascertain as early as possible the degree of fluency which your child will be expected to demonstrate at his or her particular entry level; the desire for cultural integration is a laudable one, but on no account should it be allowed to have a detrimental effect upon your child’s overall education and asking, for example, a twelve-year-old to move into secondary school with no or very little Spanish might detract greatly from his or her learning in other areas regardless of the benefits to the child’s command of the native language.

“I don’t know what it would have been like to go to a Spanish school,” Michael McFarlane says, “but I think it would have been ok. I would have made friends and I think I would have got used to the lessons in Spanish quite quickly. A couple of my English friends go to a Spanish school and they really like it. But I’m happy at my school – I wouldn’t change anything.”

One of Michael’s friends, 15-year-old Simon Wilton, has been attending a private Spanish school for nine years and says he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Completely happy, absolutely,” he enthuses in unaccented English. “Obviously I don’t really know any different but I’ve had a great time. I don’t like working too much but then, who does?”

Simon knew no Spanish when he started school; his parents had moved almost on the spur of the moment and decided they wanted their son to be as integrated into Spanish society as possible.

“It was hard for him at first, and we had a few tantrums,” admits Simon’;s mother Joy with a grin, “but it was amazing, really, how quickly he settled in. Since then, almost since he started, his Spanish has been better than ours! And I don’t think there’ve been any negative effects on his education; he’s doing fine. I must confess we were dubious at first but I realized very quickly that that was more a result of our own prejudices than any flaws in the system.”

“To be honest I can’t really remember starting school; I can remember being very annoyed because I couldn’t understand but that passed quite quickly,” he says. “Now I feel no different from anyone else in the school, and I get treated the same.”

The private sector in Spain offers a variety of more specialist schools for parents with particular needs or wishes. For example, there are a number of religious schools – predominantly Catholic, as is to be expected – which will provide your child with an education based on the Spanish curriculum but with an added religious emphasis. Some of these schools, while fee-paying, are heavily subsidised by the national government and can often prove to be a more economical form of private education. However, most do not offer a comprehensively bilingual curriculum.

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For parents who might not have the wherewithal to choose even a subsidised private school for their offspring – or for those who want to integrate their child or children as completely as possible into the Spanish way of life – the state sector offers a similar cross-section of facilities and quality of schools as does its British equivalent. Although many parents instinctively shrink from public education, the fact of the matter is that excellent state schools can be found in Spain, and for those who want to get as close as possible to the stereotypical “real Spain” this might be a preferred option.

Three factors must be borne in mind, however. Firstly, just as in the UK there is no guarantee that your child will be accepted into your preferred state school; although the state system accepts foreign students it’s vital to check that your child will indeed be offered a place, as just as in the UK the quality of state schools can very from district to district and you may end up sending your child to a neighbouring school which might not fit your own selection criteria. Secondly, the International Baccalaureate may not be available at your local school and, if your child wishes to continue studying at an English university, it is vital to check whether or not the universities under consideration accept Spanish qualifications.

Thirdly, there is a vast mountain of paperwork which must be trudged through in order to get your child admitted into the state system. Without a specific document known as the padremente you will be unable to enroll your child; the padremente is obtainable from the government, and you will need to supply proof of residency in Spain, your passport and details of your Spanish bank account. By all accounts, obtaining a padremente is a real exercise in patience; there is a huge number of different appointments and validation forms required before a padremente is granted, and at least some knowledge of Spanish is essential to get through the process.

It is clear that there is no simple answer to the schooling dilemma; each sector has its own specific advantages and disadvantages and it is, perhaps, most sensible to say that the circumstances and duration of your stay in Spain, and the degree to which you wish your child to become assimilated into Spanish society may be the deciding factors when it comes to choosing a school.

What is vital is that you research the schools in the area to which you are moving as thoroughly as possible; in fact, many recommend choosing a school even before choosing a house – for what could be more important than your child’s future? A lack of basic research at the start of your family’s Spanish adventure could have unforeseen long-term consequences for your child’s future. On the other hand, with careful planning and preparation – and this involves knowing exactly what type of school it is that you are looking for, and for how long – the process of getting your child educated in Spain should be no harder than if you had remained in the UK.

Original Source: newskys

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